This year is going to be a huge one for nerds. Let's take a look at what 2012 has in store:

January 5-8: The 10th annual music and gaming festival, MAGFest, takes place in National Harbor, Maryland.

January 10-13: CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas is the first event this year to get an early look at upcoming video games, and much more in the world of technology. Will the upcoming "Diablo III" be there?

January 12: The first issue of the "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" comic book will hit store shelves.

February 17: Hayao Miyazaki's long-awaited "The Secret World of Arrietty" comes to U.S. screens.

February 17-19: One of the first big conventions of the year: MegaCon in Orlando.

February 22: The much awaited Playstation Vita handheld console is released in North America, including the game "Uncharted: Golden Abyss."

February 24: Image Comics formed 20 years ago (as reported by CNN at the time).

March 1-3: Emerald City Comic-Con in Seattle grows in attendance and importance each year.

March 2: Legendary sci-fi author Phillip K. Dick passed away 30 years ago on this date. Two of his stories that became blockbuster movies will reach milestone anniversaries this year: It will be the 10th anniversary of the release of "Minority Report" and the 30th anniversary of the release of "Blade Runner' this June.

March 6: The final chapter in the "Mass Effect" video game trilogy, "Mass Effect 3," is released.

April: The new season of "Game of Thrones" is set to debut this month.

April 6-8: PAX East (the Penny Arcade Expo), one of the biggest gaming events of the year, takes place in Boston.

April 13-15: Chicago's C2E2, one of the fastest-growing pop culture conventions, returns to the Windy City.

April 13-15: It's JJ Abrams' favorite con, so you know Monsterpalooza is going to be great.

April 27-29: The neighbors to the north get their geek on at Calgary Expo.

May 4: As usual, May the 4th be with you, but for many geeks, this day is all about Joss Whedon's highly anticipated "Avengers" movie release (a mere three weeks after the release of the Whedon-produced "Cabin in the Woods").

August 26-28: PAX Prime (The predecessor to PAX East) takes place in Seattle.

August 30-September 3: The 70th annual (yes, you read that right) Chicon 7, home of the prestigious Hugo Awards, takes place in Chicago.

August 31-September 3: Cosplayers, gamers, fantasy and sci-fi geeks party all weekend long at Atlanta's Dragon*Con (sometimes called the geek Mardi Gras). The fanfare and accepting vibe at this con has helped Dragon*Con rival San Diego Comic-Con in the hearts and minds of nerds worldwide.

September 15-16: Comikaze Expo is back for a second year in the heart of Los Angeles.

4th quarter: "Halo 4" is set to be released at some point toward the end of the year. If you know anything about gaming, you know what a big deal this one is.

October: Nobel prize announcements and BlizzCon are expected to take place this month, but very few specifics are known at this time.

October 5: Tim Burton and the Halloween season go so well together, so leave it up to the director to remake his own early film project, "Frankenweenie" into a stop-motion feature.

October 11-14: New York Comic Con should once again pack them in at Manhattan's Javits Center.

November 9: Daniel Craig is back as Bond, James Bond, in "Skyfall." (the 50th anniversary of "Dr. No" was October 5, as well.)

November 15: Steven Spielberg captured the imagination 35 years ago with "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."

November 16: The "Twilight" film saga comes to an end with "Breaking Dawn Part 2."

November 17: Hug a Wookiee today. It's Life Day (as celebrated in the "Star Wars Holiday Special").

December 14: A nice finish to 2012 with the first of the two part "Hobbit" film adaptation from Peter Jackson, "An Unexpected Journey."

December 16: The third annual "Wear Star Wars, Share Star Wars Day," which began with the hashtag #maytheforcebewithkatie in 2010.

December 21: Well, it's been nice knowing you, if you believe the Mayan calendar ...

soundoff(85 Responses)

Desmond Klauer

In "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," released in 2009, the world was in danger because of a substance called nanomite that could be put on the head of nuclear warheads, allowing them to melt metal and cause more destruction. The plan to launch a set of nuclear warheads was thwarted, but apparently, not for good. In 2012's "G.I. Joe: Retaliation," the nanomite-laced warheads are back. Only this time, the nefarious shadow group called Cobra plans to use a new program to induce global domination with the nukes. They don't care how many lives they have to take, and they blow up the entire city of London to prove that they mean business. '.

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June 5, 2012 at 11:04 am |

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June 4, 2012 at 9:09 am |

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May 9, 2012 at 8:01 pm |

Wael Soubhy

Nice info. You can also see each and every one of the effort that was put forth to make this movie work and it pays off in my viewpoint.

April 10, 2012 at 9:00 am |

Ya Zga Vilpinte

Hey thanks for that article really interesting, however I am getting difficulties registering on your RSS feed, I am going to now check out each day the site.

April 7, 2012 at 12:02 pm |

Art

you forgot the Terminator:The Sarah Connor Chronicles convention in Pasadena May 11 to 13, 2012. Details at http://www.nofate.com this will be the epitome of geek dome

January 6, 2012 at 6:56 pm |

Sarah

Pax Prime is not August 26th-28th, that was for 2011. 2012 will be announced after PAX East. Please correct this.

January 6, 2012 at 3:44 pm |

supernerd

It is just me or did we she nock the arrow with the fletching facing the wrong way? also why is the arrow on the outside of her hand? I think that might be a painful combination!😎

January 5, 2012 at 6:26 pm |

debbie338

I notice stuff like that all the time. I'm no archery expert, but I shoot a bow. How hard is it for Hollywood to just ASK someone who knows what they're doing and get it right?

This girl would destroy the back of her left hand shooting this way!!

January 6, 2012 at 9:54 pm |

Blake Patterson

Let's not forget about GDC 2012 (Game Developers Conference) in San Francisco, March 5-9.

January 5, 2012 at 3:47 pm |

Lauren

This list is missing Gallifrey One over president's day weekend in LA (Doctor Who con) and Anime Boston is the same weekend as PAX East and I believe it's their 10th anniversary.

January 5, 2012 at 2:15 pm |

Gary

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September 12, 2012 at 5:23 pm |

Freddie

HOW THE HELL IS TWILIGHT ON THIS LIST! SERIOUSLY TAKE THAT CRAP OFF!!!

January 5, 2012 at 1:42 pm |

Jess

Maybe because we'll never have to hear about another Twilight movie after this one?

January 8, 2012 at 1:54 pm |

Hero

Otakon 2012....I'm already planning it.

January 4, 2012 at 9:10 pm |

Anna

I am so excited for Otakon!! Highlight of my year right there!

January 4, 2012 at 7:06 pm |

phoenix18

looks great...is "ParaNorman" not geeky enough or just accidently overlooked. Same company that made "Coraline" but with a new protagonist and ZOMBIES!!! I think it's slated to come out in August.

January 4, 2012 at 5:52 pm |

Doug Breese

did I miss Towel Day? or am I showing my geek ignorance?

January 4, 2012 at 2:53 pm |

Gwen

May the 25th. Don't Panic.

January 5, 2012 at 3:35 pm |

ann

Hey, anyone know what they mean by "the first issue" of a Knights of the Old Republic comic coming out in January? 'Cause one of those came out back when the first KOTOR game was released, it had somewhere between 8 and 10 issues.😀 Yes, I am that big of a nerd.

January 4, 2012 at 9:56 am |

Rachel

Why have they not listed the Star Trek Convention??

January 4, 2012 at 2:09 am |

Jess

Which one?

January 8, 2012 at 1:55 pm |

Josie

I have a few things I am looking foward to this year. The new Underworld movie, The 3D versions of the Star Wars movies (my dad told me about those...can't wait). Plus Walking Dead, the last Batman Movie....so many things to look foward to this year.

January 4, 2012 at 12:35 am |

capt paul

Should also be noted, September marks the 25th Anniversary of Star Trek:The Next Generation's premiere...

January 3, 2012 at 10:12 pm |

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How about the March 9th release of John Carter? The long-awaited film adaption of one of literature's first true sci-fi action heroes will be HUGE for genre fans, and since it's Pixar's first-ever live-action movie, it might just cross over to mainstream appeal.

January 3, 2012 at 1:33 pm |

TheAndriconBoy

This list is full of things that no true self-respecting geek actually gives a damn about, but yet the general populace classifies as “Geeky.”:

January 16: Anything relating to JJ Abrahms is for wannabe geeks.

January 31: Final Fantasy XIII-2 [only mindless fans now give a damn about this insipid franchise. Just kill it already, Squenix]

February: “Image Comics formed 20 years ago,” and cast a pox upon the comic industry.

February 10: “’Star Wars’ returns to the big screen in 3-D” because Lucas hasn’t milked his fans enough, nor can he come up with anything better.

March 2: Blade Runner was never a blockbuster. It had a lukewarm reception in theatres that eventually grew into a hit as it became a cult hit over the decades.

May 11: Burton and Depp!? Not geek at all. More like, “another cash cow of weird middle-aged moms and their 13 year old daughters who obsess over yet another Burton movie in which Depp yet again has crazy hair and/or a weird hat and acts all brooding-yet-eccentric.”

May 25: “release date for ‘Men in Black 3,’” Really!? That’s not geek. That’s not even pseudo-geek. MiB is to Geek as the MW franchise is to ‘authentic military re-creation.’

June 11: ET? Really!? I’m… I’m not even going to justify that with any further response.

4th quarter: "Halo 4" Halo is the Superbowl of game franchises: overhyped, overrated, and enjoyed by fans who are just as mindless as the game. Seriously, how many tribal-tatto’ed, energy drink-consuming, ear-plugged, Slipknot and Disturbed fan, girlfriend-ignoring, machismo “brahs” can you cram into a single game release? We’re going to find out. These people give intelligent geeks a bad name.

October 5: “Tim Burton blah blah blah.” Seriously, Burton! Go away now! Oh, and which character does Depp voice in THIS piece of crap?

November 9: “Daniel Craig is back as Bond” See comments above regarding Halo 4.

You know what, let me simplify this for you – if you can buy it at Hot Topic... not geeky. Just a way for people to "go against" mainstream society while buying in to main stream society's definition of a geek.

If you'll excuse me, I have code to write. And tonight I'm going to finish up the adventure I'm writing for my D&D group. <– geeky

January 5, 2012 at 12:27 pm |

Gwen

Wow, geek snobs. I think what you meant to post was that some of the events in the article appeal to other genre-loving geeks rather than to you. Live and let live.

January 5, 2012 at 3:39 pm |

ElectricLion

I applaud the epic-ness of this post.

January 6, 2012 at 8:31 am |

Michel

You seem to think that any article on any "news" web page is actually going to get "geek" anything.

BTW, any real geek would already know the Mayan calendar doesn't "end" Dec 21. It starts over! Think of the Mayan long count as a millennium and more folks would get it. Add another tick, and start all over again. Coincides with the winter solstice because...well it's a good place to start counting over.

January 10, 2012 at 9:32 am |

Hawk

FYI, Pennsic is not a performance event. It is an event run by, and for SCA members.

There is no "visitor pass", there is no "one day pass." If you show up, you will be expected to pay either the full two week rate, or the one week rate, depending on when you show up. You should also plan on camping, and bring sufficient medieval clothes for your stay.

On the plus side, the SCA is a 365 day a year event. Check out http://www.sca.org for more information. We welcome newcomers of all ages and medieval interests.

–Hawk

January 3, 2012 at 1:00 pm |

Doug G

Don't think the "stage performances" bit was mean to suggest a performance for the public as maybe some of the A&S stuff that goes on (translated for a general audience). Vivat!

January 3, 2012 at 4:19 pm |

Tearlag

Actually, Pennsic is by Scadians, but not only for them. Anyone can attend as long as they pay the whole fee and follow SCA rules.

January 3, 2012 at 9:08 pm |

Lynn Averill, Media Liaison, Pennsic War

Thank you Scott for your posting on Pennsic. Tearlag, you are correct that we do not turn anyone away as long as they pay the gate fees and agree to abide by our rules which include wearing medieval (not fantasy) clothing at all times and observing our fules of courtesy and honor. However, what Scott was attempting to keep people from getting the idea that Pennsic is like a Rennaissance Faire that is open to the public to come and watch. Also, we don't want people to be disappointed in that they will find very little camping space and few amenities if they are not pre-registered as part of a local SCA group. The best way to enjoy the Pennsic War is as a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, and by visiting our website at http://www.sca.org intersted folks can connect with a local group and begin to have fun rught away. Thanks.

January 4, 2012 at 7:09 pm |

Marissa

You left off ECCC (Emerald City Comic-Con) in Seattle!!

January 3, 2012 at 11:57 am |

Arika

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I am sure the official one coming out in summer will look kind of differently than the one I watched since they have to change audio and add some more scenes.

January 3, 2012 at 8:37 am |

terriwade

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January 3, 2012 at 8:02 am |

Toggi3

What? No mention of the hacker cons? DEFCON, HOPE, Notacon? I am disappoint.

January 2, 2012 at 10:42 pm |

binky42

Meh! Mainstream nonsense for mainstream nerd wannabes.

January 2, 2012 at 10:40 pm |

uhijbmn

This

January 3, 2012 at 12:50 pm |

mikenphilly

Don't forget BlizzCon in S.D. in Novemberish, or Octoberish

January 2, 2012 at 10:21 pm |

maya

Well it's been nice knowing you too!

January 2, 2012 at 10:09 pm |

Kingfisher

Not much geek fun for me on the tube this year. I'm looking forward to more Walking Dead but other than that I'm just waiting for Destiny and watching other stars. NASA's got some great shots coming up and other nations' are looking really promising. And, as always, life in the universe is full of surprises. Happy 2012, enjoy the shows. And keep looking up.

January 2, 2012 at 9:50 pm |

bostonian

You forgot one. Anime Boston will hold it's 10th Anniversary on April 6 – 8 in the Hynes Convention Center (yes, that is the same weekend as PAX East, and in the same city – If you mention one, you need to mention both)

January 2, 2012 at 9:48 pm |

AikiPhil

MacWorld is overlooked? January 26th – 28th.

January 2, 2012 at 9:41 pm |

angryoldguy

I hate to burst anyone's bubble out there, but the "Mayan Calendar" does not end on Dec. 21 (or on the 23rd either)! It's the 12th B'aktun that comes to an end and then the 13th B'aktun begins. Sorry, no end of the world or Mayan calendar. The Mayan calendar goes on for about 23 Quintillion days. (go ahead, do the math! or Look it up!)

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It takes one to know one. When it comes to topics of interest to nerds, geeks, and superfans, we know how true that is. Geek Out! features stories from a nerd's perspective that you can still share with your "normal" friends and family.